of human experience. The little that I am at prefent to repeat or add, fhall be divided into two parts. The gradual and infenfible progrefs of fin, which leads the finner on from one step to another, till he is irrecoverably lost.[2. The ftrength and power of inveterate habit

1. The infenfible progrefs of fin, It is wonderful by what artful methods, what plausible pretences, and what flow degrees, fin makes its first approaches. Let fome of thofe perfons who are now loft to all fenfe of duty, or of fhame, reflect, if poffible, with what horror they would once have thought of the practices, which at prefent they are not able to forfake. Every fin, how fmall foever, opens a paffage for the admiffion of multitudes of others; breaks the reftraint of confcience; habituates and emboldens the finner. The antients were wont to fay, that the way of fin is down-hill: every ftep a man takes on this declivity, accelerates his motion, fo, that it becomes more and more difficult, and at laft impoffible, to ftop his courfe. This is what the apoftle Paul had in his view, when he gave this excellent precept to the Chriftian Hebrews; 'But exhort one another daily, while it is called

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to-day, left any of you be hardened through ⚫ the deceitfulness of fin. We may say of fin, in general, what Solomon fays of ftrife; The beginning of it is like the letting out of water." If you watch against the beginning of fin, you may hope to prevail; but if you once grant it indulgence

dulgence, it will establish and increase its own power. To attempt then to stop its progrefs, is like endeavouring to gather together a flood of water, after you have, with your own hands, opened the fluices which have caused it to overflow.

2. To the infenfible progrefs of fin, add the ftrength and power of inveterate habit. This is represented to us in the strongest terms in fcripture, where the changing of an inveterate habit is compared to a natural impoffibility: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his fpots? then may'ye alfo do good, that are ac'customed to do evil."

As we may receive many useful moral leffons from the vifible creation and the courfe of nature; fo this in particular, of the force of habit, is, if I may speak fo, written in the moft legible characters, and repeated in every page of both. A ftone, which has long continued in one place, makes itself a bed, and is with great difficulty removed: a plant or tree that has long been confined to one pofition, or made to grow in a particular fhape, will feldom ever receive any other. This is alfo the cafe with our own bodily frame. Particular postures or motions to which we have been early habituated, can scarcely be altered by the utmost attention, and the strongest inclination of the will: the obftinacy is ftill greater in all habits where defire and affection have place. It is eafy to fee every day the violent attachment men have to employments and pleasures, however

trifling in themselves, to which they have been long accustomed. But it is greatest of all in finful habits, because in them the force of cuftom is added to the original ftrength of natural corruption.

Both the above particulars may be illuftrated, by obferving how much habit and example together operate to the improvement and perfection of guilt, in large and populous cities. There we may often find fo aftonifhing a degree of wickednefs of every fort, as it is mortifying to think that human nature fhould be capable of; there we may find perfons who will perpetrate calmly and fedately, what would furprize a lefs knowing finner fo much as to hear of. And what pity is it, that there should be found fome, who, during their occafional refidence in places of great refort, lay down their innocence, instead of their rufticity; and bring home no other accomplishment but an infolence and boldness of countenance in the commiffion of fin! That inftructed in the principles, as well as habituated to the practice of inpiety, they are not content with doing evil, but discover an incredible induftry and affiduity in deceiving aud feducing others! And fhall I not add, what pity is it, that fome, instead of improving and adorning their minds by application to study, or storing them with useful knowledge, do more than lose their time, by drinking in the poison of infidel writings? Inftead of fitting themselves to discharge the duties of public

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or private life with propriety and dignity, they only acquire the unhappy talent of fetting their minds at ease in the commiffion of fin, and make large additions to their own natural depravity of heart.

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III Let us confider the finishing stage of wick edness, the most criminal and the most pernicious character, vize that of the fcornful, who are bold enough to treat things ferious and facred with de-rifion.

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This part of the fubject, my brethren, merits your particular attention, and naturally divides itfelf into these two branches ifty The fin and danger of it to the perfons who are guilty of it. zdly, The unhapy influence it hath in polluting others.

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1. The fin and danger of it to the guilty perfons. Whoever will confider the ftate of mind from which fuch derifion muft flow, will immediately perceive that it implies the highest degree of profaneness, and impiety. It is fuch an audacious attack upon the majesty of the living God, as must strike every thinking perfon with aftonishment and horror. One of the first principles of all religion is reverence for the Deity, and for every thing that hath a vifible relation to him: This we find written upon the conscience, in general, even of the moft blinded heathens. The common and trivial use of the name of God is prohibited under the fevereft fanctions in the oracles

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oracles of truth. We find alfo fome instances there, of mere irreverence being punifhed in a very terrible manner. The angelic hofts, though perfectly pure and holy, are yet represented as deeply penetrated with a fenfe of the extreme difproportion between uncreated excellence, and created weakness, and filled with the highest veneration of him who only is Holy: In the year that King Uzzia died, I fawalfo the Lord fitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his ⚫ train filled the temple. Above it ftood the feraphims: each one had fix wings, with twain "he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one ⚫ cried unto-another, and faid, holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hofts, the whole earth is full of his glory.' It may feem unneceffary or improper to add, and yet it gives me pleasure that I can do it with truth, the fame thing has evidently distinguished some of the beft and greateft men on earth. We are well informed, that fome of the greateft enquirers into nature, as they grew in years, and enereafed in the knowledge of the works of God, did alfo vifibly grow in an awe and reverence of their Almighty Maker. Of one in particular, it is faid, that he never mentioned the name of God without a fenfible paufe in his difcourfe. After this, what can we think of any poor creature, whofe breath is in his noftrils, being guilty of contempt and fcorn of the name, attributes, works, or worship of God!

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